Requirement To Earn God’s Acceptance: ‘Do Nothing’

Have you noticed how much of life involves earning what we want? It starts when we’re kids and Mom and Dad give us a small allowance, often with the caveat that we perform certain chores like cleaning our room or putting our toys away. We go to school where we’re told to pay attention, do our homework, study and prepare for tests so we can earn good grades. 

Then we get into the work world and find a similar principle: To earn money we must perform specified responsibilities to the satisfaction of our boss or supervisor. But it doesn’t end there. To find a better job, gain a promotion or get an increase in pay, we have to earn it.

 

For athletes, it’s always about earning. Making the team, winning a spot in the starting lineup or a role as a key backup, then maintaining or securing that position. They have to earn it – every day.

 

So, it’s not surprising to assume the same would be true of the spiritual realm. Many people expect the prevalent message to be about earning: Earning God’s love, earning His acceptance, earning salvation and admission into heaven. Doing our best to be ‘good enough.’ Except for one thing: That’s not what God teaches in His Word.

 

The Scriptures teach that no matter how much good we do, it will never be sufficient to earn God’s acceptance and approval. Isaiah 64:6 declares, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags….” In case that’s not clear enough, Romans 3:10-12 tells us, “There is no one righteous, not even one… All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

 

“But I’m a good person,” someone might argue. “Look at all the good things I’ve done – and continue to do. Why isn’t that good enough?” That was the attitude of a rich ruler who, according to Luke 18:18-23, approached Jesus Christ one day while He was addressing a sizable crowd. He asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” A reasonable question, right?

 

“‘Why do you call Me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good – except God alone. You know the commandments: “Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.”’” The ruler probably felt rather smug upon hearing this because he replied, “All these I have kept since I was a boy.” Check, check, check, check – and check.

 

What Jesus said next stopped him cold. “‘You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.’ When he heard this [the ruler] became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.”

 

The Lord wasn’t giving this man a lesson in generosity, or the pitfalls of affluence. He was helping him to understand that no matter what we do, we can’t earn – or pay – our way to eternal life. It’s not a matter of performance, but a matter of the heart.

 

Someone who had studied the world’s religions, along with Christianity, concluded, “Religion is spelled with two letters, DO. Do this, do that. Christianity is spelled with four letters, DONE.” Because, as we just observed during Good Friday and Easter, Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection did for us what we could never achieve ourselves. As Romans 5:8 states, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

 

I think back to my high school years when I first heard the truth that salvation – God’s acceptance and the assurance of eternal life – is solely a matter of faith, not anything that we do. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

 

This isn’t an isolated passage because many others say much the same. For instance, a few verses earlier the apostle Paul affirms, “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5). And elsewhere the apostle explains, “[God our Savior] saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

 

There’s absolutely nothing we can do to earn God’s grace – His unmerited favor. As an old hymn says, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.”

 

However, the fact that we can do nothing to earn or deserve the Lord’s forgiveness and acceptance into His holy family doesn’t give us the license to do whatever we want. Two other verses, I call them the “do nothing” passage, specify how we’re to act as those whom God has redeemed: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). 

 

Just as Jesus willingly went to the cross, denying His own interests to become the atoning sacrifice for our sins, as “new creations in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17) we are to put the needs and best interests of others ahead of our own. In this way we can, “prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

Walking Around in Whitewashed Tombs

Picture a friend inviting you over to her house for dinner, promising a sumptuous meal. Upon arrival, she directs you into the backyard and points to an old garbage can.

 

“Dinner’s in there, take as much as you want,” she says. “Oh, don’t worry. We hammered out some dents and put a fresh coat of paint on the outside. Almost as good as new!”

 

How would you respond? Would you have trouble suppressing your gag reflex? Would you suddenly announce a fast-food restaurant is calling your name? You’d probably think your friend was out of her mind, right? The outside of the garbage can might look shiny and clean, but who knows what’s been inside the thing?

Interestingly, Jesus Christ used a similiar metaphor in dealing with some of the high and mighty, holier than thou religious leaders of His day. Jesus didn’t mince words. He called things as He saw them. He wasn’t angling to become a prime example for the classic book Dale Carnegie would someday write, How to Win Friends and Influence People.

 

On one particular occasion, Jesus expressed how fed up He was with the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees, men who commanded – and demanded – reverence whenever they showed up. Several times in Matthew 23, the Lord decried how outward appearances could disguise spiritual filth lurking inside.

 

Can you imagine being there as He rebuked them, opening with, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!...” This certainly got their attention, but not in a good way. But just in case, Jesus switched His terminology: “Woe to you, blind guides!... You snakes! You brood of vipers” (Matthew 23:13-33). How would you react if someone spoke to you that way?

 

While He didn’t refer directly to a garbage can, Jesus’ message clearly conveyed the same idea: He called out these esteemed pillars of the community, labeling them as, “whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (Matthew 23:27-28).

 

Tough words, no doubt. But let’s take a step back: Have you ever been to a cemetery where the remains of some of the deceased had been placed in tombs or mausoleums? These might be proud architectural structures outwardly, but we can imagine the decay that was going on inside. The mere thought of it grosses us out, but Jesus had no intention of sugarcoating His rebuke.

 

He closed by extending the metaphor, declaring, “…you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean” (Matthew 23:25-26).

 

If we’ve read much of the New Testament at all, we’ve probably come to regard the Pharisees as the bad guys, the uptight legalists who were quick to judge everyone but themselves. So, how does that relate to us – or to people we know?

 

We probably don’t have to think too hard, because we’ve all encountered folks who would fit these descriptions. Individuals skilled at putting on the very best of outward appearances, ones we’ve learned from experience and observation that are very different on the inside.

 

Certain groups of people might quickly come to mind – entertainers, celebrities, politicians, even religious leaders today – who could be found guilty of such hypocrisy. Shame on them, right? Unfortunately, doesn’t this also describe each one of us, at least part of the time?

 

I’d like to think I’m the most caring, compassionate person around. And at times I’ve probably appeared that way. But I regret to admit that many times I’m not. I’d like to consider myself as “Christlike,” but my family and friends could tell you of times I’ve not been like Christ at all.

 

Some people excuse they’re reluctance to become part of a church family because, “The place is filled with hypocrites!” That’s true, but that just means they’d fit right in. Hypocrisy seems embedded into our human fabric.

 

But there’s good news! We might struggle with hypocrisy, at least at times, But Jesus offers the remedy, and it’s available to anyone and everyone willing to accept it. As pastor J.D. Greear stated recently, “Christianity is not turning over a new leaf; it’s the power of a new life. It’s not a resolve to live better but a resurrection to life in Christ.”

 

He probably had 2 Corinthians 5:17 in mind, which says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

Instead of walking around like old garbage cans disguised with a fresh coat of paint, in Christ we can become “new creations.” We can put our old selves – our sinful behavior and tendencies – behind us and living life as God intended through the power of Christ and His indwelling Spirit. Sounds better than being “whitewashed tombs,” doesn’t it? 

How Are You Coming Along With Your Resolutions?

Well, we’re already two months into the new year. The virus is still with us, but now we have vaccines. We have a new President, but some politicians and factions in our country are still aggressively hating the former President. We’re still wearing masks, social distancing and washing our hands – at least most of us are. So 2021 is still looking suspiciously like 2020.

 

Which brings us to the question at hand: How are you doing on your New Year’s resolutions? Have you made the changes you intended to make? Are you making progress on losing those pounds you added over the holidays? Have you succeeded in breaking that bothersome habit? How about that hobby you promised yourself you would finally take up – have you done that yet?

 If all or most of your answers to these questions are in the negative, take heart. We’re in good company, millions of fellow humans whose best intentions have yet to reach fruition. Resolutions – and even goals – seemingly are meant to be broken or disregarded. They make us feel good while making them, but lead to frustration when we fail to keep them.

 

When I said we’re in good company, I can cite none other than the apostle Paul, who admitted struggling with similar challenges. He said, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15). We’ve all been there, right? ‘Why do I do what I don’t want to do, but find myself unable to do the things I want to do?’

 

Right after this, however, Paul wrote something that at first glance seems like passing the buck, refusing to accept responsibility for his failures: 

“And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.” 

 

Then he concludes with the declaration, “Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (Romans 7:16-20).

 

When I read this years ago for the first time (and a few times after that), I thought, “What in the world is Paul talking about?” It reminded me of the excuse often employed by the late comedian Flip Wilson’s character, Geraldine: “The devil made me do it!” Later I came to realize that comparison wasn’t far off. 

 

The apostle wasn’t writing about shedding a few pounds, or not keeping a personal commitment to start building bird houses. He was referring to insidious, inescapable sin. The Bible speaks about our having a sin nature, one we’re born with and remains with us until we die. However, when we’re “born again,” as Jesus told Nicodemus (John 3:3,7), we receive a new nature. 

 

For whatever reason, even though we’re made “new creations” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), God chooses not to eliminate our sin natures. As a result, throughout our lives we wrestle with internal conflict, sometimes doing things we don’t really want to do and not doing things we sincerely desire to do. But there’s good news.

 

In another of his letters, Paul wrote, “I can do everything through [Christ] who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Speaking to His disciples, Jesus declared the importance of their dependence upon Him if they are to accomplish anything of eternal value: “apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). 

 

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can overcome our old nature – which some translations of the Bible term, “the flesh.” So, unlike the disclaimer of the comic character Geraldine, the devil can’t make us do anything – if we are reborn in Christ. (But the enemy can make some enticing suggestions.)

 

Whether we’re striving to overcome besetting sins, or simply seeking to follow through on worthwhile resolutions or goals we embraced on Jan. 1, we have the Lord’s strength to persevere them until we’ve fulfilled them. ‘I can do all things – through Christ!’ 

Acting Like a Masterpiece

Michelangelo's "Pieta" at St. Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican.

When you hear the word “masterpiece,” what comes to mind? You might think about a Leonardo da Vinci work, such as the “Mona Lisa” or “The Last Supper.” Or you might consider creations from many other celebrated “old masters” like Renoir, Monet, van Gogh, or even “Whistler’s Mother” by James McNeill Whistler. There are too many to mention.

If your preference is sculpture, the term masterpiece might conjure images of the “Venus de Milo,” or Michelangelo’s “David.” Last year in Rome, we viewed firsthand Michelangelo’s famed sculpture, “Pieta,” along with glorious paintings and tapestries throughout the Vatican, especially in the Sistine Chapel.

Towering rocks jutting up at
Italy's island of Capri.

For me, some of the greatest masterpieces are what we can observe in nature: a sparkling sunrise; an oceanside view of a fiery sunset; the wondrous expanse of the Grand Canyon; amazing mountain peaks and rock formations; beautiful flowers in full bloom at springtime; towering redwoods and sequoias at our national parks.

However, when the Bible talks about masterpieces, it often refers to you and me. Several translations of Ephesians 2:10 tell us, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” The New International Version translates it, “we are God’s handiwork….” But in the New Living Translation we’re told, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

You and me – God’s masterpiece. Wow! At least one other translation uses that term, while another version states we are “God’s handiwork.” The Greek word used is poiema, from which we get the word, “poem.” In the Lord’s sight, we each are like a epic poem. Meditate on that for a moment.

For many of us, an initial reaction to that thought might be, “No way! Do you have any idea what a mess I am? I’m anything but a masterpiece!” We might all feel that way at times, but that’s what God calls us in the Scriptures. In fact, earlier in the same New Testament book we’re told, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” (Ephesians 1:4). Putting these passages together, it says we’re God’s masterpieces, holy and blameless in His sight. Can I say it again? Wow!

If we’re honest, that doesn’t sound true as we consider our many human flaws. But it all comes down to who we’re going to believe – God, or fragile, fickle feelings?

It’s not as if the Lord is ignoring our sins and shortcomings. It’s that He’s expert at taking broken people and not just restoring us, but literally recreating us spiritually. One of my favorite verses is 2 Corinthians 5:17 which declares, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away; behold, the new has come!”

Another passage says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). If that’s true, if the Spirit of Jesus lives in each of us who has been born again into a new life spiritually, we indeed are masterpieces, works of art that God is still in the process of finishing.

But what if it doesn’t seem that’s true – as is sometimes the case for me? The key is not to trust feelings, which can mislead, even deceive. Our trust must be in God and His view of us. As Romans 12:2 instructs, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind….” Which includes rejecting our limited perspectives and accepting His promises and assurances. 

God has declared us to be His masterpieces. So we should start acting like masterpieces, recognizing we are not our own, but totally submitted to the will and purposes of the Master. After all, as Psalm 139:14 declares, we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” He wants us to faithfully pursue Him and discover what He has created us to be.